Monthly Archives: August 2007

The Charlotte Symphony will likely announce a balanced budget for the 2006-07 season soon, but the good news comes with a footnote. In order to cover its costs, the orchestra borrowed $700,000 from its endowment fund, with the intention of … Continue reading →

From a master class given near the end of Rubinstein’s life:

(A lock of Beethoven’s hair.) Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 26, 1827, after four months of misery on a dirty straw mattress in Vienna. What brought on that downward spiral? Lead poisoning accidentally caused by his own doctor, says … Continue reading →

Recently a WDAV listener was moved to write to the station about the new movie Vitus. You can see a trailer for it at http://www.sonyclassics.com/vitus/ . It seems that every few years there’s a new art house flick that delves … Continue reading →

This one’s shaken, not stirred.

“Anitra’s Dance” from Greig’s Peer Gynt Suite performed on wine glasses or “glass harp” by Glass Duo:

That gap? It’s not so wide. Saturday’s broadcast of The MTT Files describes how conductor Michael Tilson Thomas gained new musical insight listening to James Brown and features an extensive interview with the late Godfather of Soul recorded at his … Continue reading →

For another peek into the wide world of virtuosity, dig into this clip from a Larry Clinton Orchestra movie short. Behold, “The Philharmonicas” – an irresistibly goofy sextet of harmonica wielding hot shots: (The group later thinned to “The Philharmonica … Continue reading →